Re: How to get Realtek RTL8723BS WiFi working with Debian Bullseye on Pine A64+?
February 13, 2021 2:15 AM, "Paul Wise" <pabs@debian.org> wrote:
> On Fri, 2021-02-12 at 18:26 +0000, oregano@disroot.org wrote:
>
>
> On Debian, does `modprobe rtlwifi` help?
>
> The WiFi firmware file is in the firmware-realtek Debian package.
Doesn't seem to help. A bunch of notes are below. The quality was unknown. I was warned. :)
Thanks for the suggestions!
>> On a related topic, what would it take to make the Pine Debian
>> installs more nicely packaged, like the Raspbian installs? (Thanks,
>> Gunnar!)
>
> There are too many different SBCs to make individual images for each
> platform a viable strategy. I think the only reason there are RPi
> images is that the hardware is popular and the community around it
> expects available images rather than running an installer on-device.
I see the difficulty of supporting many, many platforms this way, but...
For every phone* or phone-like device I've owned, there has always been at least one image available to flash, and often a few or more to choose from, from different places. If you're saying a regular install using USB flash drive would work on Pine A64+, then it would be great if the instructions could be updated: https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/PINE64/PINEA64
because that's what I followed, and it wasn't a regular installer like I've ever used before. :D
*Exception: Moto Droid 1. Looking for a way to install debian, or other minimal memory GNU/Linux other than Android. (Maybe better on Debian-Mobile list, but it's slow)
Notes:
# apt-file search r8723bs
linux-image-5.10.0-3-arm64: /lib/modules/5.10.0-3-arm64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/r8723bs.ko
linux-image-5.10.0-3-arm64-dbg: /usr/lib/debug/lib/modules/5.10.0-3-arm64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/r8723bs.ko
linux-image-5.10.0-3-arm64-unsigned: /lib/modules/5.10.0-3-arm64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/r8723bs.ko
linux-image-5.10.0-3-rt-arm64: /lib/modules/5.10.0-3-rt-arm64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/r8723bs.ko
linux-image-5.10.0-3-rt-arm64-dbg: /usr/lib/debug/lib/modules/5.10.0-3-rt-arm64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/r8723bs.ko
linux-image-5.10.0-3-rt-arm64-unsigned: /lib/modules/5.10.0-3-rt-arm64/kernel/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/r8723bs.ko
# modprobe r8723bs
# lsmod|grep 8723
r8723bs 585728 0
cfg80211 729088 1 r8723bs
/var/log/kern.log
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11701.936183] cfg80211: Loading compiled-in X.509 certificates for regulatory database
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11701.937351] cfg80211: Loaded X.509 cert 'benh@debian.org: 577e021cb980e0e820821ba7b54b4961b8
b4fadf'
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11701.938662] cfg80211: Loaded X.509 cert 'romain.perier@gmail.com: 3abbc6ec146e09d1b6016ab9d6
cf71dd233f0328'
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11701.939825] cfg80211: Loaded X.509 cert 'sforshee: 00b28ddf47aef9cea7'
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11701.945659] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11701.948082] platform regulatory.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware regulatory.db.p7s
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11702.010505] r8723bs: module is from the staging directory, the quality is unknown, you have
been warned.
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11702.026293] RTL8723BS: module init start
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11702.026309] RTL8723BS: rtl8723bs v4.3.5.5_12290....
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11702.026314] RTL8723BS: rtl8723bs BT-Coex version = ...
Feb 12 17:25:27 apine64 kernel: [11702.026435] RTL8723BS: module init ret =0
/etc/network/interfaces.d/ was empty
created wlan0, following pi0w example which works.
# ip link set wlan0 up
Cannot find device "wlan0"
# ifup wlan0
wpa_supplicant: /sbin/wpa_supplicant daemon failed to start
run-parts: /etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wpasupplicant exited with return code 1
ifup: failed to bring up wlan0
# modprobe rtlwifi
# ip link set wlan0 up
Cannot find device "wlan0"
# ifup wlan0
wpa_supplicant: /sbin/wpa_supplicant daemon failed to start
run-parts: /etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wpasupplicant exited with return code 1
ifup: failed to bring up wlan0
# lsmod|grep -i wifi
rtlwifi 81920 0
mac80211 790528 1 rtlwifi
cfg80211 729088 2 rtlwifi,mac80211
From /var/log/syslog:
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: Successfully initialized wpa_supplicant
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: Could not read interface wlan0 flags: No such device
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: nl80211: Driver does not support authentication/association or connect commands
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: nl80211: deinit ifname=wlan0 disabled_11b_rates=0
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: Could not read interface wlan0 flags: No such device
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: rfkill: Cannot get wiphy information
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: Could not read interface wlan0 flags: No such device
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: WEXT: Could not set interface 'wlan0' UP
Feb 21 23:39:42 apine64 wpa_supplicant[3084]: wlan0: Failed to initialize driver interface
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